“In my work, at the level of evaluating candidates, I am not able to verify their competencies in one hundred per cent. My goal is to check if such a person fits us,” says Michał Warkocz, Program Manager at a large IT company. Finding the right people is essential in creating an organizational culture, yet many companies overlook it. According to a recent Devire report “The Polish IT Job Market in 2023. HR Challenges – IT Expectations“, 34% of IT employees believe HR departments should be responsible for developing that system of values and norms within their company. It’s time for HR professionals to step up and assist Hiring Managers with building a strong workforce through the entire IT recruitment process.
For IT employees, financial satisfaction is no longer enough; cultural alignment and relationship-building have become increasingly important in determining job contentment. We can see this, especially amongst Gen Z workers who are looking for more than just a paycheck. Meanwhile, those with greater seniority seek stability amidst waves of adaptation to new challenges. This is especially true for IT specialists with over 5 years of experience mainly in areas such as Software Development (41%), Cloud Computing (26%), QA/Testing (21%), Administration (20%) and Analytics (19%). The Devire study clearly shows that IT employees value organizational culture and relationships more than ever before.
What soft skills in IT should you pay attention to?
Why soft skills are important in the IT workplace environment? Companies are made up of more than just guidelines and policies – the values, attitudes, and qualities that people bring to an organization have a huge impact. To reach the company’s objectives, the hiring team must carefully assess potential candidates and their capacity for success in this organization. The job interview is an important moment of truth for both HR experts and hiring managers. It offers a mutually beneficial opportunity to assess if the expectations align with reality, thus determining if they will be a good fit in their future work environment. It should be remembered that this is a stage in which we potentially shape the future organizational culture of the company.
When it comes to IT, two essential skills stand out from the rest:
Relationship-building skills – From communication to teamwork, success in the IT world involves a wide range of small but meaningful skills. Being able to express complex ideas is essential for effective dialogue; working with others as part of a unified team can make all the difference when reaching ambitious goals; understanding oneself and navigating matters related to etiquette are key components in building strong connections between people. Ultimately it comes down to listening actively while being willing to share your knowledge.
Soft analytical skills – Outstanding work management, accurate estimation of responsibilities and the flexibility to adapt quickly in an ever-changing environment are key attributes for any successful professional. Additionally, taking ownership of tasks – even during irregular working hours from home – shows a true commitment to excellence. Top it off with reliable problem-solving skills and a penchant for precision when writing code, free of mistakes so as not to burden their peers.
5 ways HR experts can help Hiring Managers in IT recruitment.
Knowing what to look for in a potential employee is key, and it’s time to start putting this knowledge into practice. By working together during the recruitment process, HR teams and Hiring Managers can successfully assess soft skills that are essential for each IT hire. Here are five helpful ways they can collaborate:
1. Check whether you define the company's values in the same way
Managers are tasked with recruiting new employees, but the process often gets lost in the flurry of everyday responsibilities. To find an effective team member who fits both their vision and existing culture, managers must take time for interviews that go beyond basic assessment questions. It’s important to remember that organizational development is not a one-time event; companies should be providing regular training on topics such as company policies and guidelines so everyone remains up-to-date and knowledgeable about desired workplace values.
2. Understand the situation of the IT labour market
The IT labour market is ever-evolving, and it’s important to stay up-to-date on the current conditions and to be aware of what IT employees expect. Our report, “The Polish IT Job Market in 2023. HR Challenges – IT Expectations” provides an insightful look into trends affecting the future of the IT sector in Poland and offers helpful insights on how best to approach recruitment objectives while remaining mindful of current conditions facing today’s labour force. Understandably navigating financials as well as cultivating unique skill sets can present challenges; however, with our detailed report HR employers and Hiring Managers will gain more confidence when making decisions about hiring and building out their organization’s tech teams.
3. Office-based job interviews
Verifying candidates is an essential part of the hiring process, and having both a Hiring Manager and HR representative present during recruitment meetings helps create a comprehensive image of the company. During these sessions, prospective employees can gain insight into what values are important to their potential employer as well as information about internal communications and support provided by the organization. This knowledge has become increasingly sought-after in recent times; our latest research highlights that whether they are young professionals or experienced IT workers – they need to know all the details right at the beginning.
To ensure that potential employees and their values are well-suited for the company, some employers offer an introductory recruitment stage. This gives candidates a chance to learn about the organization’s culture before deciding if it is right for them – allowing everyone involved to make informed decisions regarding suitability.
The HR and Hiring Manager are a crucial duo when it comes to assessing candidates. While the HR’s expertise is invaluable in picking out weaknesses, the manager offers further insight into their expectations on skills – ultimately determining whether a candidate will be successful within their team.
4. Consider an alternative to psychological testing
Psychological tests may appear to be a successful method in verifying candidates, but they have potential drawbacks and cannot guarantee the most accurate results. The evaluation of personalities and work styles without professional guidance can lead to misjudgements while being inefficient with time resources causes many applicants from IT fields to drop out early on. To reap more beneficial outcomes for both employee prospects and recruiters, such assessments must be only conducted properly by certified psychologists.
Rather than relying solely on tests to evaluate potential hires, why not use an innovative approach such as the STAR Method? With this method of competency interviewing and behavioural questioning, hiring managers can draw out relevant information from applicants based on four key elements – Situation, Task, Action and Result. By probing into past experiences or asking hypothetical questions about situations you want to know more about; companies can quickly build up a thorough picture of their candidates’ personalities without causing them excessive stress in the process.
In dialogue with candidates, aim to use open questions rather than closed ones; this will create an opportunity for a more in-depth conversation.
5. Suggest a joint meeting with the team
A great way to get a better indication of who would fit best in a team is by letting them interact directly with their potential colleagues. This will give you insights into how the candidate responds and adapts in an unfamiliar environment, as well as if there’s already chemistry between them and the people they’ll be working closely with. Just keep in mind that some may not feel comfortable immediately when faced with new faces – after all, this isn’t meant to measure introversion versus extroversion but rather the level of openness while on-the-job!
Organizational culture is the foundation, but also the future of IT recruitment
A company’s organizational culture can be a major draw for potential IT employees looking to join its ranks. In this competitive job market, individuals consider more than just the salary and project when selecting their employer – they assess how well an organization adheres to its professed values in practice. This is key for any business wishing to attract top talent!
“From a managerial perspective, the human factor is very important in IT, and the issues of personality selection are extremely important. When I am looking for new people for my teams, I pay special attention to this. In my work, at the level of evaluating candidates, I am not able to verify their competencies to the fullest degree. My goal is to check if such a person is the right fit. However, I don’t just want to check whether the future employee has a similar value system as our company and the rest of the team, but also whether they can bring something of themselves that we can develop together.” Michał Warkocz, Program Manager at an IT company.
IT workers have become increasingly savvy when it comes to job hunting, realizing that more than just a paycheck is at stake. Now they look for employers with similar values so they can work alongside like-minded professionals and join forces as part of a team. By assessing not only their salary but also the company culture, these tech pros are making sure there’s an emotional fit before accepting any offer on the table.
As the IT industry accelerates and changes, organizations must stay abreast of candidate expectations. HR can help bridge any gaps between Hiring Managers’ objectives to ensure they attract employees that not only embrace company values but also have something fresh and valuable to contribute to developing a thriving organizational culture.
The authors of the article "How HR can help Hiring Managers in IT recruitment?"
The authors of the article “How HR can help Hiring Managers in IT recruitment?” are Dominika Opozda, Senior Team Leader in the IT Permanent Recruitment team and Karolina Rostkowska, Account Manager in the IT Outsourcing team.
